


Still Burning

by ElsieIvy



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics), Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Alcohol, Angst, Anxiety, Depression, Gen, Mental Health Issues, Panic, Stream of Consciousness, poor Tim
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-23
Updated: 2014-08-23
Packaged: 2018-02-14 08:56:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2185584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElsieIvy/pseuds/ElsieIvy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even though Tim Drake might have some issues with anxiety Robin doesn't.  Apparently Red Robin isn't so lucky.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Still Burning

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sure how I feel about this work. Despite how short it was I had a hard time with it. Any feedback would be appreciated. 
> 
> (As the tags imply this could be triggering for people with anxiety disorders or depression.)

Tim chewed softly on his lower lip, hoping the feeling would pass. He wasn’t surprised when it didn’t. While it had always been a part of his life, it had been so much worse lately. Steph had asked him once what it felt like and the best explanation he could give was that it felt like he’d left the stove on. Every day as he tried to go about his business- school, studying, patrol- there was that constant nagging feeling that something was wrong, something he needed to fix, some metaphorical stove he’d forgotten to turn off. And now, with Bruce…gone (not dead, definitely not dead) and Dick replacing him with Damian the feeling had only gotten worse. Constant fire alarms were screaming in his head.

The feeling was trailing him. It didn’t matter where in the world he was, it was right behind him. He just really really needed to be able to breathe. If he could just catch his breath he’d feel better. 

Tim realized to his horror that he was still in uniform. Tim Drake might have the occasional minor panic attack but Robin never did. Apparently Red Robin wasn’t so lucky. It was only fair though, penance for operating in shades of gray. Tim wondered if washing the costume would help. It couldn’t hurt. If he could just figure out what to do to make it go away then it would be fine. It was a just a mystery. Tim was good at those. He hadn’t found Bruce yet though, so maybe he wasn’t as good as he liked to think. Not really all that good at anything. Maybe Dick was right. Maybe he did need help. He needed to breathe. Needed to breathe and to sleep. Maybe if he could do that then everything would make sense again and he could find Bruce.

Reluctantly Tim opened the minibar. He hated doing that but he was running out of options and he didn’t think he could take another night on no sleep. This was definitely going to be the last time he did this though. Definitely the last. Tim shakily poured himself a shot of vodka. He hated the taste but he wasn’t doing this for fun. He took the shot quickly, efficiently, and then poured himself one more. After the second shot he sat down on the bed. He just needed to wait for them to kick in. He could do that and then maybe wouldn’t feel like he was suffocating. He’d be able to breathe and to sleep.


End file.
